146:; the counts from previous years may be similar, but no pre-2011 data is currently available. 57 boats reported in 2011; number of bodies is not disclosed. Because each piece of wreckage is counted as a separate incident, the number of boats may be overstated. Most are believed to be North Korean in origin, due to the typical lettering, the primitive nature of the boats, and occasionally other clues; however, it cannot be ruled out that some of the boats could be from South Korea or elsewhere.
50:
20:
127:
have engaged in large-scale squid fishing in North Korean waters in violation of U.N. sanctions which prohibit foreign fishing vessels from fishing in North Korean waters. The
Chinese squid fishing fleet in North Korean waters has at times numbered up to 800 vessels and has caused a 70% decline in
132:
perpetrated by a single industrial fleet operating in another nation’s waters.” The decline in the squid stocks as a result of this illegal fishing is also believed to be a contributing factor to the increase in North Korean ghost ships. This is believed to have forced North Korean fishermen to
109:
Fishing boats with living crew have also washed up on
Japanese shores. In November 2017, eight North Korean men and a broken boat were found on Japan's northern coast; the men said they had washed ashore after their boat broke down. There are a few, rare, precedents for defectors ending up near
110:
Japan. In 1987, eleven defectors drifted from North Korea to west Japan. In 2006, four defectors floated to northern Japan. In
September 2011, nine defectors accidentally made a five-day voyage to Japanese waters in a small boat while attempting to travel to South Korea.
73:. Some of the boats appear to be either operated by soldiers or rented by the army to civilians. Fish is one of the main exports from North Korea to China. Wreckage from North Korean boats often washes ashore in northern Japan during winter due to seasonal winds.
475:
133:
venture further from shore and stay out longer, greatly increasing the risks of an already risky job. The so-called “dark fleet” of
Chinese vessels has harvested half a billion dollars worth of squid in North Korean waters since 2017.
162:, the wrecks reported in October and November contain the remains of 25 bodies total. The coast guard stated that the bodies were badly decomposed; one boat contained six skulls, suggesting the boat had been adrift a long time.
438:
180:
2017 – A record 104 boats with at least 31 bodies (and at least 42 survivors) were reported, including a 22-foot wooden boat containing eight skeletonized bodies found in late
November. Analysts quoted by
105:
said it is unlikely vessels are being used to infiltrate North Korean agents into Japan, as it would be easier for them to use fake passports and put the agents aboard a flight or a ferry ship to Japan.
483:
615:
866:
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has closer cultural and linguistic ties, and is closer to North Korea by boat than Japan is, defection via Japan rather than South Korea by boat is uncommon. An analyst quoted by the
243:
300:
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The discovery is just one of 28 boats that have reached the
Japanese shoreline facing North Korea this year -- about four more compared to last year.
987:
61:, which was 18 times the Australian national average work-related fatality rate. During the winter, North Korean fishing boats go out searching for
57:
Fishing is a dangerous occupation worldwide; for example, the work-related fatality rate for
Australian fisherman in one study was 143 per 100,000
877:
80:. A lack of food may play a role in crew death; with little food on board, exposure and starvation can become significant dangers. Sources in
262:
841:
927:
899:
761:
675:
616:"Chinese fishing boats took half a billion dollars of illegal squid from North Korea. Scientists used satellites to catch them out"
29:
Every year, dozens of derelict boats from North Korea wash up on
Japanese shores, some carrying the remains of their crew. These "
947:
185:
attributed the increase in North Korean ghost ships to North Korean food shortages and to mounting sanctions against Kim Jong Un.
813:
208:
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41:. The fishermen often have to travel far out to sea to catch fish due to China's overfishing in North Korean waters.
972:
379:
119:
77:
100:
649:
509:"Defecting or fishing? 11 wooden fishing boats from North Korea with 25 dead bodies found in Japanese waters"
967:
952:
708:"More North Korean 'ghost ships' washing up on Japan's coast due to food shortage, sanctions, analysts say"
318:
962:
534:
70:
982:
143:
76:
Ships washing up without living crewmen typically are old, lack powerful modern engines, and have no
736:
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squid stock in those waters. According to Global
Fisheries Watch “This is the largest known case of
301:"Illegal fishing and physical violence: Life aboard China's 'devil vessels' revealed in new report"
411:
560:
281:
49:
680:
384:
191:
2019 – At least 156 boats were reported. In one case, seven bodies washed up on the island of
439:"Ghost boats washing up in Japan may be result of North Korean fishing drive for food, cash"
81:
871:
789:"'Ghost ship' washes up on Japan's coast with skeletal remains of suspected North Koreans"
443:
188:
2018 – 89 boats with 12 bodies were reported for the year to date, as of 13 November 2018.
129:
158:
2015 – 34 boats reported for the year to date, as of
November 27 2015. According to the
941:
192:
92:
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588:"North Korea's 'ghost ships' linked to illegal fishing by China fleet, study finds"
23:
19:
818:
218:
96:
34:
30:
350:
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find it unlikely that the boats resulted from attempts to defect; given that
380:"North Korean ships with corpses on board have been washing ashore in Japan"
120:
Fishing industry in China § Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
62:
867:"Sado police find suspected North Korean boat with two heads, five bodies"
199:
North Korean ghost ships have also been reported in the Russian Far East.
165:
2016 – Around 24 boats reported to reach the Japanese coast, according to
244:"Huge Chinese illegal fishing operation in North Korean waters uncovered"
173:
167:
85:
58:
177:
reported 66 or more boats, including boats found drifting off the coast.
737:"Why wooden boats crewed by skeletons keep beaching on Japanese shores"
931:
930:
of derelict North Korean shipwrecks in Russia (2018, www.vl.ru via
84:
said the unclaimed bodies are cremated and their ashes stored in a
66:
48:
18:
762:"'Ghost ship' of decomposed bodies washed ashore in Sea of Japan"
263:"Cracking Down on Illegal Chinese Fishing in North Korean Waters"
900:"North Korean 'Ghost Ships' Deliver Grim Cargo To Russian Coast"
142:
2011 – First year for which official data is available from the
88:
compound. The boats are dismantled, destroyed and incinerated.
159:
476:"8 thought to be North Korean fishermen wash ashore in Japan"
842:"Mysterious Boats Full of Corpses Keep Washing Up in Japan"
814:"North Korean 'ghost ship' arrivals in Japan hit record 99"
676:"Ghost ships with dead bodies found near Japan's shores"
37:
fishermen are lost at sea and succumb to exposure or
701:
699:
412:"N Korean 'ghost ships' wash up on Japanese shores"
351:"The 'North Korea ghost boats' washing up on Japan"
267:Center for Strategic & International Studies
561:"The deadly secret of China's invisible armada"
282:"The deadly secret of China's invisible armada"
535:"Bodies found inside drifting boat near Japan"
8:
650:"'Ghost ships' found in Japan: What we know"
224:Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
373:
371:
319:"Korean Ghost Ships Wash Ashore in Japan"
91:Scholars such as John Nilsson-Wright of
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53:Ships at their home port in North Korea
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474:Yamaguchi, Mari (23 November 2017).
406:
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349:Paterson, Simeon (4 December 2015).
437:Yamaguchi, Mari (2 December 2015).
114:Chinese illegal fishing explanation
876:. 29 December 2019. Archived from
840:Butler, Gavin (13 November 2018).
706:Lam, Katherine (6 December 2017).
614:Hanich, Quentin; Seto, Katherine.
378:Kaiman, Jonathan (10 April 2016).
14:
533:Ogura, Junko (29 November 2012).
586:McCurry, Justin (22 July 2020).
988:21st-century maritime incidents
787:Lam, Katherine (Jan 17, 2018).
299:Daunton, Nichola (4 Aug 2022).
261:Garcia, Margaux (12 Sep 2022).
209:Fishing industry in North Korea
16:Derelict boats from North Korea
735:Hume, Tim (28 November 2017).
33:" are believed to result when
1:
904:RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
242:White, Cliff (22 Jul 2022).
125:Chinese commercial fishermen
958:Japan–North Korea relations
280:Urbina, Ian (20 Jul 2022).
1004:
117:
155:2014 – 65 boats reported.
152:2013 – 80 boats reported.
149:2012 – 47 boats reported.
513:South China Morning Post
102:South China Morning Post
948:Military of North Korea
54:
26:
52:
22:
978:Ships of North Korea
195:on December 28 2019.
144:Japanese Coast Guard
486:on 24 November 2017
880:on 30 October 2020
768:. 28 November 2017
656:. 12 December 2015
452:on 5 November 2019
55:
27:
684:. 1 December 2015
681:The Straits Times
418:. 4 December 2015
385:Los Angeles Times
325:. 2 December 2015
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973:Fishing in Korea
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963:Sea of Japan
908:. Retrieved
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878:the original
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593:The Guardian
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35:North Korean
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24:Sea of Japan
983:Ghost ships
884:29 December
819:Nikkei Asia
717:29 December
688:24 November
660:24 November
544:24 November
518:24 November
490:24 November
456:24 November
422:24 November
391:24 November
360:24 November
329:24 November
219:Ghost ships
97:South Korea
31:ghost ships
942:Categories
567:. NBC News
323:Snopes.com
230:References
214:Fushin-sen
137:Statistics
118:See also:
39:starvation
625:11 August
599:11 August
571:11 August
305:Euro News
63:king crab
59:man-years
793:Fox News
766:Sky News
712:Fox News
355:BBC News
286:NBC News
203:See also
183:Fox News
174:Sky News
168:Fox News
86:Buddhist
71:sandfish
45:Analysis
825:Dec 28,
798:Dec 28,
932:RFE/RL
910:9 June
906:. 2018
874:Online
851:9 June
772:9 June
746:9 June
446:Online
82:Wajima
67:squid
912:2020
886:2019
853:2020
846:Vice
827:2019
800:2019
774:2020
748:2020
741:Vice
719:2019
690:2017
662:2017
627:2020
601:2020
573:2020
546:2017
520:2017
492:2017
458:2017
424:2017
393:2017
362:2017
331:2017
193:Sado
69:and
654:CNN
539:CNN
160:NHK
78:GPS
944::
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